Guideline Bundle #202 High Quality Milk from Goats

Somatic cell count (SCC) is commonly referred to as a Leukocyte Count.  High SCCs threaten milk quality and marketability. Good sanitation and milking practices are needed to reduce the instances of mastitis, a controllable contributor to high SCCs.  The SCC is predominantly composed of white blood cells and is considered an accurate indicator of udder health in a herd of cows.  A cow with a SCC over 300,000 will generally have an intramammary infection (IMI) associated with the elevation. This is not always true with goats. 

The normal milk from healthy goats will have higher levels of epithelial cells than that of cows or sheep.  This Guideline bundle presents both the physiological causes of elevated SCCs and mastitis prevention in dairy goats.  A two-page summary of good milking practices that can be copied and posted in the milking area is included.  In addition, since goats are seasonal breeders, a producer that wants a steady supply of fresh milk must breed a portion of their herd out of season. A management strategy needs to be developed that a producer will use for their herd. Additional information on seasonal breeding best practices is included.